Look Up Tonight and See the Leonid Meteor Shower

Stargazers get a treat each November with the coming of the Leonid meteor shower, and tonight's the night. The event peaks this afternoon and evening; astronomers say the best time to view the shower should be tonight into early Tuesday morning.

This year's Leonids won't be as active as in years past, but viewers still should be able to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour. Of course, your best chance to see some shooting stars will come if you can get away from the city lights. If you do find a dark viewing location, you won't need anything but your naked eyes to see the meteors.

The Leonids are so named because they appear in the sky close to the constellation Leo. They appear every November because that's when the Earth passes through the tail of a comet called Tempel-Tuttle. That comet makes a loop around the sun every 33 years or so, which is why the meteor shower rises and falls in intensity. It will be up to a rate of 1,000 meteors per hour again by 2034.

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